February 20, 2012
Austin, TX—February 20, 2012—Central Health and CommUnityCare will officially celebrate the grand opening of the newly-constructed North Central Health Center located at 1210 West Braker Lane on Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. with a brief ribbon cutting ceremony and tours of the environmentally friendly building. Special guest speakers will include State Senator Kirk Watson, Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell, and Dr. Susan Cox of UT Southwestern. The speakers will highlight the facility’s features, and services, while making the link to current and future academic medicine opportunities for expansion of healthcare for our community.
“This innovative health center underscores Central Health and CommUnityCare’s dedication to increasing everyone’s access to healthcare by helping the Austin community attain its goal of becoming a highly regarded destination for medical education, science, and research through partnership and creative vision,” says Senator Kirk Watson.
Central Health began construction on the nearly 50,000 square foot energy efficient structure in September 2010, which opened on schedule and under budget in the fall of 2011 and is on target to receive the prestigious LEED Silver certification. A stellar team of local, award-winning firms including the Lawrence Group, Flynn Construction, HDR, the Bommarito Group, and landscape architect Eleanor McKinney, worked tirelessly to build this community asset.
“We are thrilled that this facility will allow us to bring important primary health care services to an additional 11,000 Travis County residents – caring for those who are most in need. That is what this achievement is all about. As an accountant, I am very pleased that the project was completed $700,000 under budget and glad for our tax payers that we obtained a 12 million dollar federal grant to build this health center, the total cost of which was 17 million”, says Rosie Mendoza, Central Health Board Chairperson.
Central Health owns the land and the new building, while CommUnityCare operates this “uniquely Austin health clinic.” Together they are striving to make Travis County and Central Texas a model healthy community. CommUnityCare North Central‘s operational model embraces Senator Kirk Watson’s “10 Goals in 10 Years” Plan, which aims to locate a teaching hospital, medical school and health science center in Austin within a decade. Each year, throughout several of CommUnityCare’s 22 health centers more than 200 medical residents, fellows, and students of medicine, nursing and pharmacy have the opportunity to work alongside the dedicated physicians who care for the vulnerable. Beginning this spring, CommUnityCare North Central will host two family practice fellows who will provide ultrasound and prenatal care to patients, and eight new OB/GYN residents.
“At this new location we have the ability to give diverse medical, dental and specialty care services to our patients, as well as educate and train Austin’s future medical professionals in a modern environment,” says David B. Vliet, CommUnityCare, CEO. “CommUnityCare remains deeply committed to serving the community and investing in its future health by continuing to expand Graduate Medical Education offerings.”
CommUnityCare North Central began operations in October of 2011. This full-service health center currently offers superior maternity, women’s health, pediatric, chronic care disease management, diagnostics, dental, primary care, and behavioral health counseling, clinical pharmacy services, radiology, as well as bilingual nutrition and prenatal education. The health center is accepting new patients into the practice.
Governed by a volunteer Board of Managers, Central Health is a hospital district and taxing entity that funds and connects eligible residents with an array of accessible quality health care options.
CommUnityCare is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) system providing comprehensive primary care services to uninsured, underinsured, Medical Access Program (MAP), Medicaid, CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program), and Medicare patients, the majority of whom are women and children.
For additional information please visit centralhealth.net and www.communitycaretx.org